A Second Set of Eyes

My husband is slowly, but surely adjusting to the twelve-hour time change between here and Singapore. He returned late Sunday night and yesterday was simply an “I have no idea what my body is going to do” kind of day, which he spent primarily in a horizontal position. Today, his forty-five minute afternoon nap extended into a two hour deep sleep.

But on this book-writing journey I’m currently travelling, one thing I’ve learned is even a sleep-deprived, time-confused, not-all-mentally-there husband does a better job at editing than I do.

A wise note to all those budding writers out there — do not EVER edit your own work.

I made a big mistake when I decided to do the last round of editing myself. I was so familiar with this manuscript, that I seem to have skimmed past all the American spelling, (“honor”, “color”, “humor” etc) the missing articles and the repetitive use of words that peppered a few paragraphs. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I actually missed a mistake on the first line of my book! (Thanks, Dawne . . . for noticing!)

All this to say that my husband and I painstakingly went through the manuscript yet again this morning . . . hopefully, for the last time.

I’ve definitely paid for this mistake — I had to cancel a May 31st book launching party. The publishing company informed me that because of the need to reformat, the final book will not be ready for sale at the end of this month. So, the book launching party is happening in early September and I hope that everyone will be able to accommodate the date change.

This morning, I realized that this inability to see my own mistakes applies to day-to-day life as well. Late last night, I was in a REALLY bad mood. I could clearly see what my husband had done wrong but I was oblivious to my own sin — I’m too close to it. I’ve practised my wrong coping mechanisms and they’re so engrained that I can’t see them. I need an “editor” for my book AND my life.

We all need people in our lives who lovingly tell the truth about us. The King James Version of the Bible says it this way: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend. “ The NIV version states it as, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted.”

A self-edited book will be full of flaws.

An unexamined life will also be.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?Luke 6.41 NIV